Seven men charged in $3.24m fraud and money laundering case

Seven men face 17 charges, including conspiracy to defraud and money laundering involving over HK$3.24 million, with an arrest warrant issued Wednesday for a 21-year-old defendant who missed his court appearance.

The absent defendant, an electrician surnamed Tse, allegedly worked with others to impersonate account owners on an instant messaging app, soliciting funds from victims' contacts.

Tse also faces two counts of possessing another person's identity card and one count of possessing a dangerous drug.

It is alleged that he possessed the identity cards of two individuals without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on December 13, 2023, at a village house in Yuen Long, along with 4.81 grams of herbal cannabis.

During the hearing at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts, the remaining defendants did not enter a plea, pending further police investigation.

Magistrate May Chung Ming-sun adjourned the case until January 21 next year.

Two of the defendants, surnamed To and Chuk, have been remanded in custody, while the remaining four were granted bail.

Chuk is charged with three counts of money laundering involving approximately HK$1.09 million in crime proceeds, while To is charged with one count of money laundering involving about HK$521,000.

Bail conditions include surrendering travel documents, reporting weekly to a police station, and not contacting prosecution witnesses.